Electric conduit



4 Sheets-Sheet 1,

(N o Model.)v

H. A. CHASE. ELECTRIC GONDUIT.

No. 410,150. Patented Sept. 3,

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2. E. A. CHASE. ELECTRIC CONDUIT.

No. 410,150. Patented Sept. 3., 1889.

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H. A. CHASE..

ELECTRIC GONDUIT.

No. 410,150. Patented Sept. 3, 1889.

N. PETERS, Phnlmmhegnpher, washmgmn, D. Cy

(No Model.) 4 SheetsSvheet 4.

H. A. CHASE.

ELECTRIC GONDUIT.

110.410,150. Patented Sept. 3, 1889.

UNITED STATESl PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY A. CHASE, 0F BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

ELECTRIC CONDUIT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 410,150, dated September 3, 1889.

Application filed May 28, 1889. Serial No. 312,429. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY A. CHASE, of Boston, county of Suiolk, State ot Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Electric Conduits, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

rlhis invention relates to conduits for electric railways, and is an improvement on the conduit shown and described in United States Patent No. 400,3007 granted to me March 20, 1889.`

In accordance with my present invention the conduit lis composed, preferably,of a series of castings or supporting-trames shaped to form a slot-chamber, in which is located the main conductor, an accessible chamber, and a power-chamber. The slot-chambers of adjacent castings will be provided with rails to form a slot, through which an arm secured to or carried by the car is extended, the lower portion of the slot-chambers of adjacent castings being connected, preferably, by sheet metal to form a continuous slot-chamber between adjacent castings or frames, and the said castings or frames will also be connected by a suitable pipe or pipes to form a con'- tinuous power-chamber and acontinuous accessible chamber. Each casting or supporting-frame is provided with one or more removable covers, by which access may be had to the accessible chamber and power-chamber, and each power-chamber below the removable covers will be provided with one or more supports for wires carrying large currents, and technically known as powerwires, the said supports being' preferably of porcelain, wood, or other insulating material, preferably supported in cup-shaped socl-:ets containing, prcteably, hydrocarbon oil, by which the power-wires `are completely insulated from the conduit. The part of the conduit between the adjacent castings or supporting-frames will preferably be supported by a suitable bracket, as will be described. The power-chamber below the removable covers of each casting or trame has located in it, as herein shown, a corrugated roller,which constitutes a guide and an auxiliary support upon which the power-wires are placed, and by which they are fed from casting to casting, the said rollers being made removable, so that when a power-wire has been extended through the conduit for a sufiicient distance the said roller may be removed and the said power-wire allowed to drop down, in order that it may be placed in position on its insulating support. rihe arm, which is extended through the slot into the slot-chamber, has detachably secured to it a current-collector, preferably a trolley-wheel, and the said arm above the said slot is pivotally secured to the car or a support thereon, so that the said arm,when the trolley-wheel is detached therefrom, may be moved up out of the slot to permit the carto be changedfroln the conduit system to an overhead system, and a trolley-wheel may be removed from the conduit through the accessible chamber.

rlhe particularfeatures in which my invention consists will be pointed out hereinafter in the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure l is a transverse section of the conduit through one ot the castings or supporting-frames on line a', Fig. 3; Fig. 2, a transverse section of the conduit on the line @j y, Fig. f5, to more clearly show the bracket supporting the parts between adjacent castings. Fig. is a top or plan view partially broken out of the conduit embodying my invention. Fig. it is a longitudinal section of the conduit through the power-chamber, the section being supposed to be taken on line .11 af', Fig. Fig. 5 is a transverse section through the casting or supportiiig-frame of a modified form of conduit. Figs. 6 and 7, deta-ils to be referred to; Fig. S, a sectional detail, on an enlarged scale, to more clearly show the trolley-arm connected to the car, the latter being only partially shown; Fig. 0, a top or plan view of the parts shown in Fig. S; F1' g. 10, a detail to more clearly show the manner of connecting the trolley-wheel with its arm to establish electricalconnection between the parts; Fig. ll, a modification to be referred to; Fig. l2, a top or plan view, on an enlarged scale, of the arm shown in Fig. l0;

and Eig. 13, a detail to be referred to, on an enlarged scale.

The conduit is composed, preferably, of a number of castings or supporting-frames A, located at convenient distances from each other, and connected, as shown in Fig. 3, by

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pipe-sections a a and rails a2, t-he said pipesections, as represented in Fig. 2, being herein made integral. Each casting or frame A is preferably shaped substantially as shown in Fig. 1, it being provided with outer walls a3' a4, an inner wall a5, and an inclined wall a6, the walls as a5 constituting the side walls of a chamber a7, in which are located, as will be described, wires as, adapted to carry large currents, and known as power-wires, the said chamber being hereinafter designated by me as the power-chamber. The inclined wall a and a short upright wall of?, forming part thereof, form, with the side wall a4, the slot-chamber am, provided with the slot-rails a2, which are secured to the side walls` of the said chamber, as herein shown, by suitable bolts am. The inclined wall a6 and the upright wall a? form, with the upright wall a5, a smaller chamber als, which l shall designate as the accessible chamber.7 The walls a3 a9 are provided, as herein shown, with ledges upon which rest covers b b, the cover b being provided with an annular packing-ring b2 of rubber or other usual material, by which a water-tight joint is effected, substantially as in the patent referred to.

The accessible chamber al3 contains Within it an insulator b3 of rubber or other usual material, provided, preferably, with a Athreaded central opening to be engaged by the threaded shank b4 of an arm b5, extended through an opening or slot h6 in the wall a6, the said arm -having secured to it, as by the pin U7, a main conductor 198 of copper or other usual material. The insulator b3 is supported,as herein shown, by brackets b, secured to it, as by screws b1", the said brackets being fastened, as herein shown, by screws Z912 to the side walls a5 a6 of the accessible chamber. The insulator b3 is provided at its lower end with an annular upturned lip Z213, to form atrough or receptacle in which a hydrocarbon or oily barrier b, preferably a light hydrocarbon oil, is placed, the said insulator being also preferably made cup-shaped at its upper end to contain hydrocarbon oil. The main conductor, bs has co-operating with it, as herein shown, a trolley-wheel` c, mounted upon a shaft c', havin g bearings in a trolley-carriage, herein shown as a preferably metallic yoke c2, secured to a block c3 of insulating material, to which is secured a metal plate c4,having a boss which forms an end bearing for the shaft c. The block c3 of insulating material has secured or forming part of it a metal plate c5, adapted to be inserted in a guideway, formed, as herein shown, in the enlarged lower end c of the trolley-arm c7, said guideway being open at its ends, as clearly shown in Fig. 10, so that the plate c5 may be readily removed therefrom for a purpose, as Ywill be described. The trolley-arm c7 is preferably made hollow to contain within it the conductor es, to which is secured, as by a spring jack, clasp, or fastening 09, (see Fig. 12,)

the conducting-wire cw, connecting the said spring jack or clasp with the metal yoke c2, and through the said yoke establishing electrical connection with the trolley-wheel. The trolley arm c7, above the conduit, is pivotally connected to the car cl2, it being shown as pivoted at c13 to an arm c, so as to move vertically, and the said arm is itself pivoted in a bracket 015, secured to the car R, the arm c14 being adapted to move horizontally. The trolley-wheel c is kept pressed up against the main conductor bs to insure good electrical connection, preferably by one or more springs C16, having one end fastened to a bracket c, secured to the arm c7, (see Fig. 8,) and its other end secured to a bracket 01S, fastened to the car. l

By constructing the trolley-arm substantially as described, and making the carriage carrying the trolley-wheel detachable from the said arm, the car may be readily changed from the underground or conduit system to the overhead system, or vice versa, for to make the change it is only necessary to remove the covers b b and insert the hand through the accessible chamber and slot b into the slot-chamber, withdrawing the spring jack or clasp from engagement with the trolley-arm, and then sliding the trolley-carriage out of the guideway in the said arm, leaving the latter free to be turned upward through and above the slot. The accessible chamber of each casting or supporting-frame preferably contains within it one or more insulators d of porcelain, wood, or other suitable material. Theinsulator d is preferably made as a trough 2, (see Fig. 13,) secured to or forming part of a back piece 3, provided, as shown, with a dovetail slot, by which the insulator is slipped over a support 4, preferably a bar or rod secured tothe side wall The sides `of the support or bar are made beveled to correspond to the dovetail slot ofthe back'piece. The trough 2, herein shown as oblong in form, but which may be round or of other shape, has secured to its bottom a forked arm or upright 5, into which a feed-wire d is placed and by which it is supported. In practice a number of insulators d may be placed on one bar or support 4, and adjacent insulators are separated, as herein shown, by making the' back 3 of greater height than the trough 2 is deep, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The powerchamber a7 of each casting or frame, below the removable covers thereof, is provided with one or more insulating-supports e, preferably made as an upright frame provided with side notches, into which the power-wires a8 are laid, the said bar being provided with a socket or opening, which is fitted over a post or rod e', (see dotted lines, Fig. 1,) secured to or forming part of a base frame or bar e2, provided on its under side with a foot or projection e3, which rests upon the bottom of a cup-shaped socket or rcceptaclee, secured to or forming part of the casting, the said cup-shaped socket containing a hydrocarbon or oily barrier, preferably a light fluid oil e5, by which any leakage IOO IIO

of current from the power-wires is cut oft from escaping to the casting. As an additional precaution against leakage, the central socket is not made as long as the post e', so that when the frame e is-litted upon the said post the said frame will be above the frame or bar c2.

The power-chamber a contains within it a supporting guide-bar for the power-wires, herein shown as a corrugated roller e, having journals in the side walls of the chamber. The corrugated roller e serves as a support vfor the power-wire, by which the latter may be readily run from one section to the other until it is in position to be placed in a notch of the insulating-support c, and when in position the said rollers may be removed and the power-wire dropped down into place.

As shown in Fig. 3, the power-chamber and the accessible chamber ot' adjacent castings or frames are connected by pipe-sections d a', which are integral; but it is evident that the said chambers may be connected by single pipes oi proper diameter. The portion of the conduit between adjacent castings or frames is preferably supported by a bracket 610.

As shown in Fig. l, the casting or trame is made so as to include a single power-chamber, a slot-chamber, and an intervening accessible chamber; but, it desired, the powerchamber may be located centrally between two slot-chambers, substantially as shown in Fig. 5, wherein two independent castings A are formed so as to include in each a slotchamber and one-halt or any other portion of the power-chamber, the said castings being united at the bottom by a longitudinal strip or piece en, secured to the castings A, as by bolts cl3, (see Fig. 5,) the end walls and aportion of the top walls being completed by the strips or pieces cH ell. (See Figs. 6 and 7 It desired, the casting A may be shaped so as to include' only the slot-chamber and power-chamber, in which case the wall d5 willA be provided with suitable openings, through which the auxiliary wire d2 may be extended and connected to a power-wire in the chamber al, or the said casting or frame maybe made to include the slot-chamber and the accessible and power chamber, the power-chamber and the slot-chamber of adjacent castings being connected.

Instead oil securing the trolley-carriage to the trolley-arm by a spring' jack, clasp, or fastening-such as shown in Figs. l0 and l2-A the said carriage may be secured by other forms of spring-fastening-such, for instance, as shown in Iiig. ll, wherein the trolley-arm has secured to it a spring-arm f, bent to engage a notch in the top of the plate c5. The lower portion of the slot-chambers of adjacent castings may be connected by sheetmetal plates 20, bent or made in usual manner to conform to the shape of the slot-chamber of the castings and form a continuous slot-chamber.

I claiml. In an electric conduit, a ,frame or casting provided with a slot-chamber and an accessible chamber communicating' therewith, and a power-chamber, substantially as described.

2. In an electric conduit, the combination, with the series ot' castings or frames, each comprising a slot-chamber, an accessible chamber, and a power-chamber, of means to connect the chambers of adjacent castings, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with an electric conduit having a slot-chamber and an accessible chamber communicating therewith, anda conductor located in said slot-chamber, of a trolley-arm adapted to be inserted into said slotchainber through the said slot and a trolleycarriage and means to positively secure said trolley-carriage to the trolley-arm within the slot-chamber, the said trolley-carriage being readily detachable from the trolley-arm to permit the carriage to be .removed through the accessible chamber and to allow the trolley-arm to be withdrawn from the slot-chamber, substantially as described.

rlhe combination, with an elect-ric conduit having a slot-chamber and a powerchamber, ot' an insulating support in said power-chamber and a supporting-guide, substantially as described, located in the said power-chamber above the insulating-support, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. The combination, with an electric conduit having a slot-chamber, and a main conductor located therein, and an insulatingsupport for said conductor, of a feed-wire and an insulating-support for said feed-wire consisting' of a trough, an oily barrier therein, and 'an upright or arm extended upward from said trough, siiibstantially as described.

6. In an electric conduit, the combination, with a support or bar i, of an insulator consisting ot a trough, an ,oily barrier therein, and a back piece provided with a dovetail slot to enable the said insulator to be slipped over the said bar or support, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed mynamc to this specification in the presence ot two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY A. CHASE. Witnesses:

Jas. H. CHURCHILL, MABEL RAY.

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